The Grenada gazette., 1887-10-22

leave the city in comfort that he told
lhe story III the dialect of Il Southern
heid hand. somewhat tempered by
residences in the North. Diyested ot
Its quaint dialect his tale is weirdlv
and, perhaps, morbidly interesting.
Il was locked up" he said, '1nore
than six months but never Thought
was going to be hanged until tho
night before. Then I knew the gal.
lows was up and l got scared.
They prayed with me all the
time and tried to keep me from
thinking of it, but l didn't hear what
they prayed about. Twas too excited.
didn't go to sleep all the night be.
fore. and when they came to fetch me
was so weak l couldn't stand up
The sheriff gave me drink of whisky
and then tied my elbows behind my
back and took me along. knew there
were crowds around when went to
the gallows. but l Ididn't seem to see
them. l heard somebody singing and
l Joined in. Then they pushed me up
ON the gallows and I saw the rope and
got scared again, and tried to hang
back. but they pushed me along and
made me stand up straight Irecol-
lect their putting the moose on my neck
and drawing it up tight. but was
thinking Of whether they were going
to hang me. and all at once dropped.
had shut my eyes when they pulled a
piece of cloth over my face, but l
opened them then and tried to get my
hand up to tear the cloth off so ! could
see, but all at once I thought some one
hit me terrible blow on the head and
l lost my senses. When woke up l
thought some one was choking
me and tried to get loose, but
l couldn't. Then it seemed as
if my head was bursting, and l saw
awful lights before my eyes, and my
feet and hands seemed to be so heavy
/ couldn't stir them. Then great rings
of all sorts of bright colors began at
my eyes and went further and further
of. growing bigger and fainter until
lost them. My head felt prickly all
over, and SO did my hands and feet,
and l couldn't breathe, and then
tainted. Once l knew I was being
hanged, but it was only for n second.
"When l awoke in the wagon was
worse scared than before, and when
got out from under the tarpaulin l
thought l had been dreaming. Then
when my neck got to hurting Inc so
Knew what was the matter. For weeks
sfterward l could hardly swallow, and
couldn't turn my head. and can't !
low very much. The cords nre al
tiff on one side and drawn down."
The man told his story in almost
commonplace fashion. but when he
spoke of his life since it affected him,
II can never 60 home again" h.
aid. "and I can never see or hear OF
ny friends again. They were going to
atch me and do it over again, so Iran
way. I've been knocking around ever
ince. principally III Canada, New
Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania,
ut now thought I'd come up here
where I might get some light work to
o."
The man didn't seem to be the brute
Q must have been, and, in fact, he
ad the appearance of ordinary inte!-
gence atleast. According to his own
tory he had done little work in his
'anderings, and has begged both food
nd clothing.
Sometimes" he said. II have
'ished that l had never come TO life
gain. That's been when I've been
early frozen and starved. never 90
ear colored people, for it was my owp
DIOR that tried to have me hanged
yer, and I hate a black face" Asked
he wasn't afraid of being arrested
II the old crime, he said: "No, boss;
don't think they'll ever look for me
} long as stay away from there, and
II never go back to Arkansas. " ,
NJ Cnr;,,os Ne9De